Luis plus Sheridan minus Brian equals Love
by Her Owlness
Summary: Sheridan and Luis have the perfect relationship. But after Sheridan catches Luis flirting with the school slut, their relationship takes a turn for the worst. With Brian O'Leary manipulating the situation, have Sheridan and Luis lost their chance at love?
1. Part I

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Note: This fanfic was co-written by me, Lizzy (whiteowl4@yahoo.com), and by Marni (sabourin_21@hotmail.com)

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Part 1:

The relationship was perfect. It was exactly what everyone was looking for in their lives. And according to Sheridan Crane, things couldn't have been any better. She was in love with the sweetest, hottest, and sexiest person on earth. Sheridan met Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald her freshman year, and since the first time she laid eyes on him, she was in love. The way he walked…the way his deep voice carried… everything about Luis made her want him even more.

Finally, a week before Homecoming in her junior year, he had asked her to the dance. It was the greatest day of Sheridan's life, and she accepted his invitation without hesitation. After they got to know each other even better, Luis revealed he had a major crush on Sheridan since his freshman year. The two laughed at how stupid they both were, but were thrilled to finally be together.

This was what Sheridan thought about as she was driving to school one beautifully chilly fall morning. Sheridan knew how lucky she was. Every moment she had to spare she spent with Luis. Sheridan pulled into the parking lot and was walking through the front doors. She glanced over and saw her wonderful boyfriend coming towards her. Smiling, she met up with him and the two embraced in the longest, deepest kiss. They hadn't seen each other since Friday, and to them, that was two days too long.

"Hi Sheridan. Have a nice weekend?" Luis asked, slipping his arms around her waist.

Sheridan grinned. "It could've been better…I missed you, of course!" They began to walk to Sheridan's locker together. This was the morning ritual that Sheridan and Luis shared. They would always meet by the front doors, and spend the morning together before the bell rang.

"Yeah, I had to go to my brother's college convention at the University of Maine. Too bad you couldn't have come with me. I bet we could've showed those professors a thing or two!"

The two laughed as they made their way to the cafeteria. As usual, they met up with Gwen Hotchkiss and her boyfriend Hank Bennett, and what seemed like only minutes, the bell rang. Sheridan and Luis shared one more kiss and hug before they departed.

~*~*~*~

English Literature wasn't the most exciting class Sheridan had, but she was forced to take at least a semester of it. And a whole semester with Ms. MacDonald was more than enough for Sheridan.

Ms. MacDonald always began the day by going through the schedule and talking about what hell the students would be going through this week. "So," Ms. MacDonald began, looking around the classroom with disgust. She never seemed happy with the class, no matter how hard they tried. "Can anyone tell me what we did Friday?"

Sheridan raised her hand. "We read through the beginning of Macbeth."

Ms. MacDonald nodded. "Yeah, and who can tell me what happened?"

Sheridan looked around the room. Everyone was still half-asleep, while others were asleep. After a minute, Sheridan raised her hand again. "Macbeth and Banquo met witches in the woods. The witches addressed Macbeth as the King."

Once more, Ms. MacDonald nodded and asked, "And what happened when Banquo and Macbeth reach King Duncan's place?"

Once again, no one raised their hand. Sighing, Sheridan raised her hand and almost began to answer the question when Ms. MacDonald stopped her.

"Kids! There is no reason for this!!! We need more participation in here!" Ms. MacDonald paused dramatically for a moment. "Okay, since nobody seems to participate in discussions here, I'm now assigning an oral presentation…" Ms. MacDonald went on and on about the guidelines which the presentation would be graded on.

"So, is everything clear? Good." she said, not bothering to even check if there were any hands up. "And now—"

Ms. MacDonald was cut off by Matt Thompson. "Is this wonderfully educational presentation going to be in groups, or is it by ourselves?"

Ms. MacDonald, angry that he'd cut her off, snapped. "LOOK! I was ABOUT to GET to that if you'd just LET me CONTINUE!…Now, as I—"

Matt cut her off again. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'll just wait for you to answer my question then."

Ms. MacDonald glared at Matt. "Thank you," she spat out. "Now, as I was saying—"

"Hey, you're welcome. I'm very interested in the well being of the class, so go ahead and finish."

Ms. MacDonald exploded. "GET OUT!"

Matt looked confused. "What did I do?"

"TAKE YOUR THINGS AND GO TO THE OFFICE!!" Matt was about to open his mouth when Ms. MacDonald yelled "NOW!!!" Irate, he picked up his belongings and left. Ms. MacDonald continued. "Okay, before I can be interrupted again, I will be assigning you with a partner…" Ms. MacDonald rattled off a bunch of names. "Kay and Miguel, Whitney and Chad, Brian and Sheridan…"

Now that Sheridan heard her name, she heard that she was paired with Brian O'Leary. This made her happy. Brian was a total babe, not to mention one of the most popular guys in the senior class. He had thick, dark brown hair with sparkling eyes to match. She had always gotten along with Brian, but never made an attempt to get to know him. She looked at him casually from across the room. He was looking back at her with a sexy grin that made him even hotter, if that was possible.

"Okay, meet with your partner and start to get things going…NOW!"

Whistling under her breath, Sheridan walked over to Brian and sat down in a nearby desk. "Hi Brian. Ready for this awesome presentation?"

"Are you kidding? I love this class, let alone all the meaningless projects we do." Brian shook his head, obviously joking. "So, do you have any ideas, because I have absolutely none."

"Neither do I…" she trailed off as she caught his expression. He was half grinning, half disappointed. "What did I say?"

Again, Brian shook his head. "The smartest girl in class doesn't even have any ideas? Well, if YOU don't have any, can you imagine what the rest of the class is going to do?" He knew he was embarrassing her, and stopped. "Well, what I guess we could do is…" He went on and explained his idea.

Sheridan loved it. "That's awesome! I think we should do that!" Brian began to write something in his notebook. He was not only hot, but smart also! Of course, not as hot and smart as Luis, but he wasn't too far behind.

The rest of the class was spent talking and making fun of Ms. MacDonald and English Literature. Sheridan's day went by pretty quickly, and before she knew it, it was 8th hour, and 8th hour meant time with Luis during Physics. They sat together near the far side of the room so they could have a little privacy. Usually, Luis waited for Sheridan after 7th hour, which was another ritual.

Surprisingly, he wasn't waiting for her today. She walked to physics to find Luis already in the room. Sheridan felt a twinge of jealousy. It wasn't because he didn't wait for her, but because of who he was sitting by and talking to. He was in a deep conversation with none other than Beth Wallace.

In Sheridan's opinion, Beth was one of the biggest sluts that she was forced to have classes with. There were always rumors circulating around school about who was the latest guy that Beth had slept with.

She watched as the two started laughing about something that Luis said. Sheridan sat down at her regular seat, rolling her eyes. Beth's laugh was so obnoxious and fake. She couldn't believe Beth could actually carry out a conversation for as long as they'd been talking. Sheridan figured that the only words Beth knew were bed, sex, more, and yes. Sighing, Sheridan got out her notebook and located her assignment for today.

Finally, as the bell rang, Luis walked over to his usual seat and sat down. "Hey Sheridan. Sorry I wasn't able to wait for you today, but Beth needed my help with something…"

Sheridan stopped listening after she heard Beth. She just nodded and waited for the class to begin.

~*~*~*~

Later, after Sheridan arrived at home, the phone rang. It was Luis. Sheridan didn't particularly feel like talking to him, but she did so she wouldn't come off as rude.

"Hey, Sheridan. Look, I just want to know how you're doing. You weren't talking much to me today during physics, so I was just wondering if something was wrong."

Oh, so now he wanted to talk. Probably now that Beth wasn't around. "No. Nothing is wrong…" Sheridan trailed off with no feeling in her voice.

"Oh." He paused. "Uh…is this about Beth? Because I told you that I was only helping her-"

"Look," she snapped, completely cutting him off. "I believe you. I guess I just didn't like the fact that you were flirting with her."

"I wasn't flirting, Sheridan. Just talking."

"Uh huh. Sure…"

Luis sighed loudly. "Oh, and I suppose you can talk to any guy you want, and it's wrong for me to get mad, but when I talk to another girl, you becoming jealous is totally justified?"

"I am not jealous! No…what? Huh? N-…No!." There was a long pause. "Well…maybe a little jealous…but just a smidgen…no… no, half of a half of a smidgen."

Luis was silent for a moment. Sheridan figured that either he didn't have a comeback, or he was trying to figure out what she had just said. "It doesn't matter. I'm sorry. Look, can I stop by for a while? I think we need to talk."

"Uh…I'm busy," Sheridan lied, surprising herself. She had never lied to him in the year that they'd been together.

"Really? With what?"

"I…I uh…I'm meeting Brian."

"Brian O'Leary? Really? Why?"

"For English Lit. We're partners for this project and we have a lot of work ahead of us."

"Oh. Well, uh, I'd better leave you alone then…I love you, Sheridan," he stammered.

"Yeah…bye." Sheridan hung up the phone, tears rolling down her face. What was happening between them? Why did Sheridan suddenly feel the need to lie?

~*~*~*~

Luis held the receiver in his hand for a moment, staring at it. Did he hear what he thought he'd just heard? He slowly hung the phone up and stood still. Luis honestly did not know what to do. Him? Flirting with Beth? The idea was crazy.

Picking up the receiver again, he quickly dialed Brian's number. He wanted to see what was going on, but he didn't get the chance, because the line was busy.

He then dialed Hank's number. It rang, and Luis sighed in relief. He needed to talk to someone, and Hank was the perfect person. He had known Hank his whole life, and, as an added bonus, he was also in his physics class.

"Hello?" a feminine voice asked.

"Hi Mrs. Bennett, it's Luis…is Hank around?" he questioned anxiously.

"Luis! How are you doing? I haven't talked to you in years! "

"Uh…yeah…great. Is Hank--"

"How is school? Doing well in all of your classes?"

"Yeah, great, fine. Look, I just called--"

"And your mother! How is she doing? I can't remember the last time I saw her!"

"She's doing good. Could--"

Mrs. Bennett laughed. "I remember the last time I saw her! It was back when you and my little boy were entering high school!"

"Yeah, it's been a while, but I really need to talk to Hank. Is he around?"

"Just a moment…I think the last time I saw her was at the freshmen football game! Yes…yes, that's right! That was the game where you dropped the ball several times, and my poor baby vomited all over you. I think you lost…the score was 20-0. Yes, I remember it clearly!"

"Yeah…thanks for reminding me…I almost succeeded in forgetting that game, but now thanks to your great memory…"

Mrs. Bennett chuckled. "I think that was your best game that season, too! Yes, I'm correct, because the first week, the score was 35-3. Then, the next game, you lost 59-6. That was when you caught the ball and ran all the way to the wrong end of the field! Ha! Your face-you looked so happy and couldn't understand why everyone was mad! And then--"

"LOOK! I SUCKED AT FOOTBALL! CAN you PLEASE put Hank on the phone?!"

Mrs. Bennett sighed loudly. "Well! You don't have to get snippy about it! For the love of God…" She put the phone down, and a couple minutes later, Hank answered.

"Hey, man, what's up? What'd you do to my mom?"

Ignoring his question, Luis once again sighed a breath of relief. "Look, man, I gotta talk to you…it's an emergency."

"Let me guess. Does this emergency have anything to do with Sheridan?" Hank asked, laughing.

"Wha- how did you know?" Luis asked, amazed.

"Well, I saw what went down in physics today, so I figured there would be trouble in Paradise. So did she forgive you, or did you do some major ass-kissing?"

"I would rather talk to you about this someplace more private. Gwen just got home, and you know how she likes to eavesdrop."

Hank thought for a moment. "How about we meet at the Book Café?" he asked, referring to the teen hangout in town.

"Yeah, I'll meet you there." Luis said as he hung up. Hastily, he threw his jacket on and ran out the door.

~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Sheridan was on the phone with Brian when Luis tried calling. Sheridan told him that she thought they should get an early start on the project. And they too decided to meet at the Book Café. Brian agreed to pick her up and the two arrive at the Café, but not before Luis and Hank do.

~*~*~*~

Hank and Luis were sitting in the back of the cafe. "Hey man, thanks for coming on such short notice. I really needed someone to talk to. I need to fix things with Sheridan."

Hank nodded. "I'll bet. I'm sure Sheridan wasn't too happy walking into physics seeing you come onto another girl."

Luis groaned. "Did it look that bad?"

Shaking his head, Hank answered. "Sorry, but yeah. If I saw Gwen flirting with another guy, I'd probably bash his head in. If I were you, I'd hang low for a couple days and give her some space. I remember last year when I was in the same type of situation. Do you remember? Kellie Carstens was my old girlfriend before Gwen and I hooked up, and one day she saw me and Kellie joking around about something. She got so mad, that she started spreading rumors that…well, let's just say after a month of me letting her cool down, she finally forgave me. Now, were even more crazy about each other than we were before. "

Luis thought for a moment. "I guess it could work…I just don't want to lose her. Finally, I find someone who I feel completely in love with. With her, I can talk about anything and she won't laugh, I can give her a look and she immediately knows what I'm thinking…" He trailed off, looking down. What have I done? he silently asked himself for the hundredth time that day.

"Quick! Duck!" Hank said, hastily slouching in the booth he was sitting in.

Luis did the same, but was at a loss as to why. After a couple seconds, Luis cautiously looked over his shoulder and saw his beautiful girlfriend sitting down at a table with Brian.

Hank saw Luis's face fall as Brian pulled out a chair for a smiling Sheridan. "Remember what you said? She's only here because of the project."

Luis spun around. "Do you actually believe that there was a project? I mean, maybe she lied…maybe she's going out with Brian and is just waiting for the right time to tell me…"

"Whoa! Luis! Get ahold of yourself! You're beginning to sound real insecure, you know that? Please, stop. Don't get all emotional on me,…not here!"

"Well, wouldn't you be worried if you saw Gwen on a date with another guy?"

"No, because Gwen wouldn't. She's completely in love with me. I don't have one thing to worry about…I trust her. And just to let you breathe easy, there actually is a project. I have Ms. MacDonald the same hour as Sheridan. Ms. MacDonald even paired us up, so you see, she didn't even choose him."

Luis looked around once more, and sighed. "She won't even talk to me!"

"Hey, give her time. Believe me, she'll be back in your arms before you know it. Trust me. I'm your best friend. When have I ever let you down?"

Luis rolled his eyes with a loud sigh. "We're about to find out. Come on, let's get outta here."

Hank threw some money down on the table as the two got up and exited through the back door.

~*~*~*~

It was 4:35 am, and Sheridan couldn't sleep. All night she tossed and turned, thinking about Luis and Brian. Her thoughts drifted back to earlier the previous day at The Book Café. She went there with Brian, and after she sat down, about ten minutes later, she saw Hank and Luis leave. Luis didn't seem to see her, and Sheridan was relieved.

She had told Brian about her dilemma, and he had talked through her problems. Sheridan was finding out that not only was he hot and smart, but also understanding and sensitive. He had said some things that really made her stop and question her relationship with Luis. Was he really the one? Since freshman year, that was what she believed, but was love blinding the truth?

Luis had called a couple more times later last night, but Sheridan refused to talk to him. She knew he was getting irritated. Good. He deserved it. 

Sheridan flopped onto her stomach and buried herself in her warm, soft blankets. This comforted her, and she almost drifted off to sleep when a terrifying thought entered her mind. What was she going to do when she saw him at school later that morning? Would he meet her at the front door as usual? Would things be the same? Could she forgive him? Slowly sitting up, she decided to get ready early so she would have an excuse to tell Luis if he asked why he didn't see her. Feeling a little better, she got dressed and prepared herself for a long day.

~*~*~*~

Gwen and Hank were already in the cafeteria when Luis sat down across from them. He looked preoccupied.

"Hey Luis! What's up?"

Luis looked over at Hank. "Not much. Have you seen Sheridan today?"

"Yeah. She was here about ten minutes ago, saying she had to go talk to her math teacher about something," Gwen answered, feeling bad for Luis. "I think she wants to talk to you. I can tell when something is bothering her, and believe me, something is…"

Before Gwen could say anymore, Luis stood up. "You know what? I'm completely SICK of trying to figure her out! I've wasted too much time and energy trying to think of a way to make things better between us, but she doesn't want to even make an attempt to sort through our problems! So, guess what? I'm through! I am completely through!"

Sheridan, who had just walked up behind Luis, finally decided that they needed to talk. As she reached Luis, she heard what he had just said, and she froze with shock. "What?!"

Luis spun around, his eyes narrowing angrily. "Oh good. You've decided to talk to me again."

"Huh? What is that supposed to mean? Didn't I have a pretty good reason why I wasn't talking to you?"

Luis threw his head back and laughed, his voice raising as he talked. "Oh, that's right. Your reasons are always completely justified."

"Look, Luis, I think we need to talk."

"I wanted to do that last night but you didn't want to. And now, I don't want to!" He paused, looking thoughtfully at Sheridan for a moment. His gaze softened, and his voice became quiet. "Sheridan, yesterday after I tried calling you I saw you at the cafe with Brian. When I went to bed last night, I couldn't sleep. I thought about us long and hard, and I could only come up with one solution to our problems. And that would be to break up. It sounds harsh, but I think we both are in need of a lot of space and soul searching. I think we should call it quits…at least for now." Luis paused, and hastily left the cafeteria as the bell rang.

~*~*~*~

Soon, it was Friday. By this time, everyone knew about Sheridan and Luis's break-up. That morning, during English Literature, Sheridan and Brian were working on their project.

They were both busy when Brian stopped and looked at Sheridan. "Hey Sheridan?"

"Hmmm?" she asked, not looking up from the poster that she was busy designing.

"Uh, well, I just wanted to say that I heard about Luis dumping you."

Sheridan laughed, still concentrating on her drawing. "I wouldn't exactly call it dumping…more like an understanding."

"Funny. That's what Luis said too…look, since you aren't attached to anyone, I was wondering if you wanted to go out tonight."

Sheridan stopped drawing and looked up at Brian. She just couldn't get over how completely wonderful he looked. "Thanks, but I think it's a little too early."

"I talked to Luis about it, and he didn't seem to mind. In fact, I think he's got a date with Beth later on."

Sheridan shrugged her shoulders. "Well, in that case…" she trailed off, kiddingly.

Brian smiled broadly. "Great. I'll pick you up at 8:00. You're going to love what I have planned! It's going to be an awesome surprise! Just wait and see!"

Sheridan opened her mouth in protest, but decided against it. Apparently, he had really liked her, and being the incredibly sweet person that he is, waited for her all this time! Her mouth slowly turned into a smile. "Okay. What should I wear?"

Shrugging his shoulders, he laughed. "I don't care…you will look gorgeous in whatever you choose!"

"And you're not going to tell me where we're going?"

"Nope! Then it wouldn't be a surprise."

"Well, I'll be ready at eight!" Sheridan said, feeling excited with anticipation of their date.

~*~*~*~

The rest of the day seemed to drag by, but at last 8:00 arrived. Sheridan had just finished getting ready. She couldn't decide on what to wear, and ended up trying on almost every piece of clothing she had. By the time she found an outfit she liked, her room looked like an explosion at the Gap. In the end, Sheridan had chosen a tight black skirt with a semi-revealing red shirt.

Sheridan was a little uncertain about already going out with another guy. She figured it was a little too soon to be dating again.

On the other hand, Luis was on a date with Beth, so maybe it wasn't too soon. Luis had said that they needed time apart, and that dating other people wasn't out of the question.

Distracted, Sheridan walked over to the mirror and checked over herself once more. As she was smoothing her hair, the doorbell rang. Calming herself, she walked over to the door and paused a moment. This was it.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, and saw a bouquet of flowers. Giggling, she took the flowers.

Brian was leaning on the frame of the door, his eyes traveled lazily over her. Then he grinned, apparently happy with what he saw before him. "Wow…you look absolutely beautiful."

Sheridan, blushing, looked over at him. "Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself!"

Brian laughed. "Well, thanks. So, are you ready to go?" he asked, helping her with her coat.

"Hey, I've been ready for a long time!" she joked.

"So have I…" he said after a moment, gazing at her. She knew by the tone of his voice that he wasn't talking about preparing for the date. "Sheridan, I'm really glad that you decided to go out with me tonight. I wasn't sure if you wanted to, but was hoping you would…" Suddenly, he shook his head and smiled, holding out his hand. "Let's go." Together, the two left for their date.

~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Luis was at home lying down on the couch watching Sports Center. He was tired, and was happy that the week was finished. It had been long and frustrating. Telling Sheridan that they should break up for a while was the hardest thing he had ever done. He loved her so much, but he knew that it was good to date other people.

The one thing that bothered Luis so much was the fact that she was already going out with Brian. He figured that at least she would wait awhile. If anything, it proved that she really was losing interest in him. This made him reevaluate their relationship. Did she feel this way when they were still going out? Luis thought for a moment.

Things finally began to make sense. Sheridan didn't love him anymore, but didn't know how to break it off with him. On Monday, when she saw him talking to Beth, she used that as an excuse to break up. The signs were all in front of him, yet Luis was too blind to see them. He was so busy thinking about this that he never heard Theresa walk in.

"Luis! You are so lazy! Didn't you even do your chores yet?! Mom is going to be home any minute now!"

Luis pushed himself up and looked over at her. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

Theresa picked something off of the table and shoved it in Luis's face. "I am talking about this!"

The note was from their mother instructing them of what she wanted done. "Oops. Guess I didn't see this."

Theresa narrowed her eyes. "Well, at least I did MY jobs. Wait till mom comes home!"

Luis scanned over the list. He had to vacuum, do dishes, and clean the living room and kitchen, while Theresa and Miguel only had to clean their rooms room. "Hey! All you had to do was clean your room?! I think mom is prejudice! I think she favors you over me! Did you see all the jobs I have to do? Totally not fair!"

"She doesn't favor me! The only reason you have all that work is because you never do your jobs right!"

"Look Martha Stewart, I don't need you, or anyone else, telling me what to do or how to do it, so just back off!" Luis laid back down on the couch and continued watching TV.

Theresa looked at her brother. She knew what was going on, and slowly walked over and sat down by him. "Look, Luis, I know it must've been a rough week…"

Luis laughed angrily. "That's putting it lightly!"

"Sorry. Look, if you ever need to talk, I'm here, okay? I'm a girl too, so I probably know what she's thinking." She stood up.

"She's going out with another guy already," he said evenly, looking down.

"Brian, right?" Luis nodded. "Yeah, I heard that too." Theresa sat back down.

"Brian asked me if it was okay if he took Sheridan out. Apparently, she happily accepted his invitation. What a jerk."

"Didn't you want her to see other people? Wasn't that part of the deal?"

Luis fumbled with his shirt. "Yeah, but we agreed on that only a couple days ago! I never would've thought that she would this soon…"

"If you were in her place, wouldn't you have?"

"No. I would've forgiven my handsome, loving, sexy, hot boyfriend in a second. Of course, that's only what I would've done if I were Sheridan and had a boyfriend like me."

Theresa sighed. "Whatever, Luis. Good luck. You'll need it…a lot of it!"

~*~*~*~

Sheridan and Brian were having the greatest time imagined on their date. First, Brian took Sheridan to a fancy restaurant where he demanded that she order the most expensive item on the list. Then, the two went to a dance club where they had a lot of fun. Finally, the date was about to end, or so Sheridan thought.

On the way back to her house, Brian pulled off to the side of the road and turned the engine off. He turned in his seat toward Sheridan.

Sheridan was confused. "Why are we stopped here?"

Brian smiled, taking off his seatbelt. "Because the date isn't over yet…"

Nervously, she backed up in her seat. As she looked at Brian with wide eyes, she too took of her seat belt, getting ready to get out of the car. "Whoa, Brian…this is our first date…I mean, come on!"

"What? What are you…oh…Oh! No, it's not what it looked like. I'm not like that, Sheridan."

Knowing she was blushing, she closed her eyes and looked down. "Well, now that I just made a complete fool out of myself…"

Brian put a hand on her knee, he laughed lightly. "Don't worry. I can see why you'd think I'd be pressuring you…especially since you really don't know me all that well. I would never do that to you or anyone." He paused. "Let's take a look around. This park is so beautiful at night time."

The two got out of the car and Sheridan followed Brian to the path in the hidden park he was referring to. It was all lighted up, reflecting off of the water spraying upward from the fountain. "We came at a good time. This fountain is usually turned off at the end of the month, and is locked up for the winter." The two proceeded farther down the path. Sheridan could distinguish a small pond off in the distance. As they neared it, she saw a small bench hidden off the path. Brian stopped and grinned at Sheridan. "Do you want to sit for a little while?"

"I'd love to," Sheridan answered, completely amazed by Brian. She never knew he could be this romantic. Luis had never done anything like this with her before. Thinking of Luis, her spirits were dampened. Right now, she figured Beth was probably putting moves on her boyfriend…her ex-boyfriend. Pushing Luis out of her mind, she joined Brian on the bench.

Together, they sat and talked. The more he talked, the more Sheridan could feel herself falling for Brian. She knew it was way too early to have feelings for another guy. In spite of everything, she smiled. She was happy to be with Brian tonight. He helped her forget about Luis.

"What is so funny?" Brian asked slyly, his eyes twinkling as he studied her.

"What?" Sheridan asked.

"You were smiling about something…was it something I said?"

Again, Sheridan's cheeks became red. "I didn't realize you were watching me."

"I can't help it. When I see something beautiful, I can't control myself."

Sheridan rolled her eyes. "And exactly how many times have you used that line?"

"Well," Brian said, putting his arm around Sheridan's shoulders. "You'd be my ninth…tenth…eleventh…" He laughed. "No, you're my lucky first." He hesitated for a moment. "Seriously, I am very glad you decided to come with me tonight. I realize that you may not feel the same way about me that I feel about you. I understand completely since you just broke up with Luis. I just wanted to tell you how much I like you, and that I care so much for you. I don't think I've ever felt this way about anybody before."

He raised her chin up so her eyes would meet his. "I love you, Sheridan. I've loved you for such a long time now…I just never had the courage to tell you, but I feel like it's the right time."

Sheridan held his gaze, losing herself in his heavenly brown eyes. Slowly, she felt herself drawing closer and closer to him. Brian gently put his arms around her as the two began to kiss. Sheridan realized he was a great kisser, but not as good as Luis.

Brian, on the other hand, had waited for this moment for a long time. It felt good to be with her, and have her in his arms.

When the two stopped, Brian suggested that he get her back home. Taking her hand, Brian led Sheridan back to his car. They drove back in silence, both thinking about the kiss. When Brian pulled into the driveway, he got out and walked her to her front door. The two embraced once more for a goodnight kiss, and Brian got back into his car and drove off. Sheridan watched him go, and smiling once more, she walked inside.

~*~*~*~

"She WHAT?!"

"She went out with Brian. Thanks for your great plan of giving her time, Hank."

Hank and Luis were hanging out at a local gym. The two were shooting hoops on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Hank was crushing Luis, 54-29. They still had two quarters to go.

Hank, easily stealing the ball from Luis, went for the easy three. "Well, no wonder you suck so bad today! That explains something…Hey baby!" Hank exclaimed, happy to see his beautiful girlfriend.

Gwen walked over and the two quickly hugged and kissed. "Having fun?" she asked, looking over at Luis, who was looking at them depressed. Uneasily, she walked over to Luis, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Look Luis…I heard about what happened last night, and I…"

"Last night? What do you mean last night? What happened?"

"Nothing…except that Sheridan and Brian went out on a date."

Luis picked up the basketball and started dribbling it. "Oh, that. Yeah, I knew. Did she call you and tell you all about her new boyfriend?"

Gwen exchanged looks with Hank. "Yeah, but she didn't say much…apparently it wasn't that good." She paused for a moment. "Maybe you should just make up with her…I think that she misses you."

Luis looked skeptical at her. "What makes you think that she still has feelings for me? I mean, come on! She just went out on a date with another person!"

"And like you didn't?" Gwen accused, pointing at Luis.

"Huh? What are you talking about? I can't remember the last time I went out with any other girl besides Sheridan!"

"What about Beth?"

Luis narrowed his eyes. "Look Gwen, I know it may have looked bad, but I really wasn't flirting! If anything, she was flirting with me!"

"Well, Sheridan told me that you and Beth had—"

"Nothing happened! How many times do I have to tell you that? NOTHING happened! Nothing!"

"Hey, I didn't mean to accuse you of anything. It's just that she told me that—"

Hank cut in. "Gwen, I realize that Sheridan is one of your best friends, but are you sure she wasn't exaggerating a little, perhaps?"

Gwen's mouth flew open in disgust. "Are you trying to say that Sheridan, Miss Sheridan I-Cannot-tell-a-Lie Crane, was lying to me? I don't think so. Come on, Hank. Why would Sheridan make up such a lie as Luis and Beth going out on a date?"

Luis, who was dribbling a ball, let it fall to his side. "Whoa! What are you talking about? I may have talked to Beth, but I never went on a date with her! I think you know me better than that!"

"Well, why would she tell me that? I think I'm going to call her as soon as I get home and see what's going on." She turned to Hank. "So, are we still on for tonight?"

Hank smiled, pulling her in for a long, deep kiss. "Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

"Great…I'll be over at 7:00 then. And as for you, Luis, you take care of yourself. If you need anything, just let me know." She leaned over and gave him a quick hug. "Bye."

~*~*~*~

Sheridan was just finishing up her homework as the doorbell rang. Quickly, she sprang to the door. It was Brian.

"Hey there! How are you doing this morning?"

"I'm doing good."

Brian raised his eyebrows. "Only good? Well…I guess I'll have to fix that now, won't I?" He held Sheridan, giving her one of the most romantic kisses that she had ever experienced. When they pulled apart, Brian looked at her and grinned. "Now how do you feel?"

Sheridan thought about it for a moment. "I'm not sure…maybe you should try again."

Brian's smile faded as he looked deeply into her eyes. Carefully, he brushed a lock of hair from her eyes as he kissed her.

"I feel much better! What…what's wrong?"

Brian looked at his feet. "I'm not sure if I should tell you this, but…" he trailed off.

"But what? Tell me! Apparently something's bothering you, so let me help. What is it?"

"Ah-well it's about your old boyfriend."

A lump formed in Sheridan's throat. Swallowing, she looked up at Brian. "W-what about him? He is okay, right?"

"Yeah. He's fine. It's just about…" he paused, studying Sheridan. "Are you sure you want to hear this?"

Sheridan shook her head. "Yes! You're the one who opened the can of worms. Now you have to tell me."

"All right. Well, I heard from one of my buddies that Luis had a really good time with his new girlfriend last night. I guess he got into some trouble because he didn't come home until early this morning. Of course, he'll probably deny it. I mean, spending the night with Beth is probably not something that you'd want to go around school. Think about it. Beth doesn't exactly have the best reputation, if you catch my drift."

"I do. There's no need to go on. So anyways, are you busy tonight?" Sheridan asked.

"I don't know…guess I'll have to check my schedule." Sheridan's face fell. "Just kidding!"

"Great! How about we go out later on? Please? For me?"

A grin started to form on Brian's face. "Why do you want to go out with me so badly?"

"No reason…just to spend more time with you, that's all."

Brian pushed Sheridan lightly. "Right. I know you better than you think I do."

"I guess I just wanted to get my mind off of some things for a while."

Brian looked at her for a moment. Then he shook his head. "Oh…well…what do you suppose we do? How about a little…oh, I don't know…strip poker?"

Before Sheridan could react, the phone rang. She ran to answer it. "Hello?"

"Sheridan? It's Gwen. Look, I really need to talk to you. This morning I went to the gym, and guess what?"

"I'd love to guess, but right now, Brian is over, and I really want to spend some time with him."

"Fine. When you decide that you want to talk to me, give me a call." Gwen hung up the phone.

Not sensing the sarcasm in her voice, Sheridan also hung up. "That was Gwen."

"Oh, really? What did she all have to say?"

"Not much. She wanted to chat…you know, girl stuff."

"Oh…okay." He paused. "So, how about that strip poker?"


	2. Part II

****

Part 2:

Brian and Sheridan decided to go see a moviethat night. She quickly changed so they can leave for dinner. They went to the Seascape and, surprisingly, Hank and Gwen were there on a date as well.

Once Gwen saw Sheridan she said sarcastically, "Thanks **SO** much for calling me back, Sheridan."

"S-sorry. I forgot," Sheridan replied apologetically.

"That's ok. I have to go to the bathroom. C'mon, Sheridan," Gwen announced, dragging her friend with her.

"Meaning it's girl talk time," Hank concluded. "Just don't take **TOO** long, ok, honey?"

Gwen kissed him and replied, "We won't," while pulling Sheridan to the bathroom.

Once they're there Sheridan couldn't hold back any longer. "Ok, what the **HELL** was that about?"

"I'm sorry, but I had to tell you something. Since you practically hung up on me on the phone, I had to drag you in here."

"For the **FIFTY-HUNDRETH TIME**, I'm sorry!"

"That's ok, but I just talked to Luis this morning when I went over to the gym to talk to Hank. He said he hasn't gone out with Beth **AT ALL**."

Sheridan couldn't believe this. "So, basically you're saying that I should believe my ex, who's probably lying to save his own skin over my boyfriend who adores me?"

"Sheridan, you've said it yourself so many times. Brian really seems to like you. But does he like you **SO **much that he'd go to **ANY** lengths to keep you from getting back together with Luis?"

"I will have you know that Brian is sweet and kind and **HONEST**! He wouldn't lie to me."

"Sheridan, just promise me one thing. I just want you to think about this one little thing. In the entire **FOURTEEN **months that you Luis had been together were there **ANY** signs that he might be the kind of guy to go out with someone just because she's easy? Or the kind of guy who would **CONSIDER** cheating on his girlfriend—let alone actually **DOING** it?" Gwen questioned. She then raised her hand up to stop Sheridan from responding. "I don't what to know what you're thinking. Just promise me you'll think about this, ok?" Sheridan just nodded and they headed out to the restaurant, where their boyfriends await.

All through dinner, Sheridan did as Gwen had asked and thought about who was telling her the truth. _It can't be Brian,_ Sheridan thought. _But then again, I don't think Luis would lie to me—let alone do anything like that. Ugh! This is sooooo confusing!_

They finished dinner and headed to the theater. While there, Sheridan kept thinking about who the liar was. She knew that it should be obvious, but the answer just kept evading her.

~*~*~*~

After the movie ended, he drove her home and parked just outside.

"Sheridan, I never thought I'd get the chance to go out with you. I mean, you were dating Luis since the beginning of your junior year, and I didn't really get to know you until then. Everyone always thought that you would be together, like, forever. So when you guys broke up, I thought it was fate telling me that I was meant to date you. I mean, we're perfect for each other. I—I love you, Sheridan. I realize it may be too soon for me to tell you this, but I had to tell you."

"Wow. I—I don't know what to say. I want to tell you the same thing, Brian—"

"Don't worry. I know you just got out of a big relationship. I don't want to pressure you into something you don't mean. I just wanted you to know exactly how I feel."

"Oh, Brian!" Sheridan exclaimed, before leaning over and kissing him firmly. Eventually, Sheridan pulled away from the sweet kisses. "I'm sorry, but I really should go. I have to work tomorrow morning."

Brian groaned, but backed off, complaining, "Are you **SURE **you have to work?"

Sheridan just laughed in response. "As much as I'd love to pretend I **DON'T** have to work, I do. Sorry." And with that, she kissed him again and opens the door.

~*~*~*~

That night Sheridan just **couldn't **sleep. Her mind was too concentrated on one subject—who the liar is. She's right back where she was all night.

__

I should've just stayed in the car with Brian! I'm getting as much sleep as I would have had if I had stayed longer in his car! Sheridan thought. _But who's lying? Brian has a point. Everyone thought Luis and I would be together forever. **I** thought we'd be together forever! I loved him, and he loved me. He wouldn't lie to me. But then again, Brian loves me. Why would **HE** lie to me? But he also said he never thought he'd get a chance to date me. Meaning he saw his chance and took advantage of it by lying to me. Who should I believe?_

~*~*~*~

The next day, Sheridan went to her job as a lifeguard. She prayed that she wouldn't need to rescue anyone that day—after all, she was far too distracted to notice if anyone was drowning. If she did notice, she worried that she might not remember how to save them. Luckily, she was working with her friend Chad Harris that day. When no one was swimming, they sat together and tried to figure out her problems.

"Ok, Sheridan, here's what I think. I think that Luis would never lie to you. He doesn't have a deceitful bone in his body. From what you're telling me, I think that Brian saw his chance and took advantage of it. And then he did everything he could to hold on to you," Chad told her.

"Chad, you never even **MET** Brian. You don't know him. How can you make that kind of judgement?"

"I know I never met him. And he might be the greatest guy in the world! I don't know the guy. All I know is that you're a great girl, any guy would want to date you. If I wasn't dating Whitney, you might be fighting **ME** off with a stick too! But I know that Luis is a great guy. I could tell how much he loved you—it was obvious to the world! He doesn't seem like the type that would risk anything when it came to you. I just really don't think he's lie to you. That's all there is to it," Chad explained.

Just then, some people jumped into the pool forcing Sheridan and Chad to separate and do their job. Sheridan was mad because she wanted to ask Chad just how he knew that Luis would never lie to her. He had said that he thought that Luis had loved Sheridan, but maybe he never did. How could he—or anyone else **REALLY** know if Luis had loved her? Or how much he had loved her?

After what seemed like an eternity, their shift came to an end. As they were signing out, Sheridan asked him how he knew that Luis wouldn't have lied to her.

"How do I know? How do I know…I know because I could see the look in his eyes every time he talked about you. I know because the way he always looked so animated and enraptured when you were together. I know because he acted sad when you weren't there. I know because he would do **ANYTHING** for you. I don't know exactly how to explain it, but when you see all these things and others, you just **KNOW**."

~*~*~*~

Sheridan went home, thinking about what Chad told her. All the way home, she couldn't stop thinking about what Chad had said.

__

As much as I hate to admit that Brian may be lying, I think I agree with what Chad told me. I mean, I thought we **REALLY** loved each other. I never would have thought that he would lie to me. I need to talk to him. Tomorrow, Sheridan decided.

Since she slept through her alarm, she arrived at school late the following morning. She didn't have time to find Luis before school and had to rush off to first hour. English Literature—yay. With Ms. MacDonald as a teacher, it is definitely a class she wouldn't mind missing.

On that day in particular, she wasn't looking forward to seeing Brian. She didn't want to talk to him before she talked to Luis—otherwise she feared losing her nerve and believing once again that Brian couldn't be lying to her.

She walked into the room as late as possible so she wouldn't have to talk to him before class started. She sat at her desk and wondered how she had gotten herself into that situation. Luckily, Brian was absent that day.

~*~*~*~

Sheridan went to each of her classes, but she avoided the cafeteria during her lunch hour. She knew that she would have to talk to Luis there, and she would rather talk to him alone. She planned to corner him before Physics and ask to talk to him.

After Calculus, she walked towards Physics and saw Luis standing in the hallway, outside of their classroom. Her heart began to accelerate and she knew she was making the right decision.

She walked towards him, and saw him lean his head down to talk to someone. She crept closer and realized that he had another girl in his arms—and not just **ANY** girl, but Beth!!!

__

I can't **BELIEVE** how stupid I was! He **IS** dating her!! Why else would she be in his arms? Sheridan concluded. Rather than stick around for Physics with the man she loves, she ran to the office and signed out for a "doctor's appointment."

~*~*~*~

A few minutes later, Luis walked into Physics. Hank immediately sat down beside him. "Man, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"What are you talking about?" Luis asked, very confused.

"Why were you holding Beth? Sheridan ran off crying when she saw it."

"Beth was upset because she's got a D on her mid-quarter and her parents are pissed. She's grounded now, and she's freaking out. Besides, why would Sheridan care if I'm holding another girl? She's **GOT** a boyfriend? How is it any of her business?

"Luis, you are so dense. Sheridan was just about to forgive you for hitting on Beth. Gwen thinks she figured out that you wouldn't lie to her. She wanted to get back together."

Luis groaned loudly, "So, you're saying that I've ruined the chances of getting back together with Sheridan with one stupid move **AGAIN**?!? Oh, man…"

"And this move was **REALLY** stupid. If you were holding a different girl, she would be able to easily forgive you—after all, she's dating Brian. But this was Beth. The girl who started this whole problem. The girl who her boyfriend says you're dating and have slept with! She is **THE** worst possible girl for her to see you with," Hank explained, groaning. "What are you going to do, man?"

With a depressed expression on his face, Luis replied, "I have absolutely no idea."

~*~*~*~

That night, Gwen and Hank drove over to Sheridan's house. They knew that she probably wouldn't even talk to Luis, so they were hoping to show her what was really happening before Physics class.

They knocked on the door and Sheridan opened it with a tear-stained face. "H-hey, guys. What are you doing here?"

Hank spoke first. "I saw what transpired before Physics. Gwen thought you might want to talk to someone. I thought I should tell you what was really going on between them."

"I know exactly what's going on. Brian was telling the truth. Luis and Beth 'together,' and I was a fool to think he'd lie to me."

"Sheridan, you're wrong! You two are perfect for each other, and if you'd each finally realize that you're still madly in love with each other, you could get back together and stop this soap opera that the entire Senior class is obsessed with!"

"Yeah, Sheridan. Besides, after I saw you run off, I talked to him. He said that he was just comforting Beth. She was upset since she got a D in Physics on her mid-quarter and now she's grounded," Hank added.

"Yeah, I can see how depressed she's be that she can't see Luis anymore. Being grounded can really suck if you've got a lot of ground to cover."

Gwen couldn't believe how stupid Sheridan is acting. "Sheridan, get it through your head! He… was… never… dating… Beth!!! He wasn't **TRYING** to look like he was coming on to her a few days before you broke up. He didn't mean to make you think that he was going out with her. They're just friends. He wouldn't lie to us. Hank's his best friend, and I'm almost always around them, so I hear almost everything that he says."

"Besides, you two are a lot alike," Hank added.

"Oh really? How so?" Sheridan questioned skeptically.

"You're both unable to lie. You always feel compelled to tell the truth. So does he. I don't know if he's even able to lie with a straight face!"

"Yeah, that's true, but you both have one much more important thing in common, Sheridan," Gwen informed her.

"And what would that be?"

"You're both madly in love with each other, yet neither wants to be the first to admit it. You want him back with all of your heart, and he's thinking the same thing right now. You would do anything for him, and he for you. You two really have true love."

"Yeah, yours was the most stable relationship in the school, besides mine and Gwen's, of course, was always yours and Luis's. People thought you two would be together forever."

"Key word there is **WAS**. People used to think that we'd be together forever. Even **I** thought that we could never break up. But I also never thought that Luis would do something like **THIS**. Could anyone have expected him to act this way?" Sheridan responded angrily.

"No one will ever think that Luis would cheat on his girlfriend. And he **HASN'T**!" Hank argued.

"Says you, his best friend. Who else would he tell, but swear to secrecy? Of course you would say he hasn't!" Sheridan replied with disgust.

Gwen opened her mouth to defend Hank, but Sheridan cut her off. "And **YOU**! Gwen, you'd never betray your boyfriend, or any secrets he has told you. Gwen, Hank, I cannot believe either of you. As much as I want to believe what you tell me, I cannot. I'm sorry. I saw him flirt with Beth. That I may be able to forgive, but then, **THEN** I see him with her in his arms?!? I cannot take that, nor should I be expected to!"

Hank wished that he could make her understand. "But he was just **CONSOLING** her! He wasn't doing anything, and he hasn't done anything with her either! Nor does he want to!" he shouted before adding softly, "It is you that he wants, Sheridan. No one but you."

"Even you have to admit that he loves you, Sheridan. He would do anything for you."

"He **LOVED** me. Past tense. Or, at least I thought I did. I still love him, but I can't be with him if he doesn't feel the same way I do. I don't know how he **CAN** love me, considering what he's done." Sheridan paused before continuing. "Look, I think we have said all there is to say about what is or isn't going on between Luis and Beth. And I would appreciate it if you would leave since you're not going to be able to convince me that nothing is going on."

Gwen glanced at Sheridan sadly, and told her, "If that's what you want, Sheridan, we'll leave. Just think about what we said. Goodbye, Sheridan."

They drove away and left Sheridan alone with her thoughts. _I wish I could believe them! I really wish I could. But Luis can't love me! He can't! If he loved me he never would have acted as he has—would he?_

~*~*~*~

Hank drove Gwen home before heading over to Luis's house to give him the bad news. He had promised let Luis know what had happened. He pulled into the driveway and knocked on the door. Luis answered the door immediately.

"Well?" he asked with a hopeful expression on his face.

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah, yeah. C'mon in. Want anything to eat?"

"No, I'm fine," Hank replied as he walked into Luis's room. He sat and softly told Luis the bad news. "I'm sorry, man. We just couldn't convince her."

"No! Why wouldn't she believe you? I would tell you the truth! And Gwen would tell her the truth! Why?!?"

"She said that I would lie to protect you. And that Gwen wouldn't betray me. I'm really sorry. I know how much you love her."

"Of course I love her! Who wouldn't? She is the sexiest, smartest, greatest girl ever." Luis paused before adding quietly, "I used to wonder how I got so lucky that a girl like her would even go out with a guy like me. I never deserved her. I mean, just **LOOK** at how I treated her! Even though it was an accident, you don't do that to people you love."

"Hey, buddy, there is an upside though." Luis looked up hopefully as Hank continued. "She said she still loves you."

"If she loves me, why won't she give me another chance?"

"She said that she didn't think that you felt the same way about her. She told us that she couldn't be with a guy who didn't return her feelings."

"But I do! Why can't she understand that?"

"All I have to say is, if you can't tell her, show her."

~*~*~*~

On Tuesday Sheridan was in a horrible mood. She walked into English Literature with a scowl on her face.

"Sheridan, are you ok?" Brian asked. "You look upset."

"D-don't worry about it. I had a really bad day yesterday."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, not really. Maybe later." Sheridan flashed a smile, attempting to reassure him. Brian was still worried about her, but he left her alone, as she had asked.

~*~*~*~

The day continued, but her mood didn't include in the slightest. Sheridan was glad that Gwen, Hank, and Luis didn't tell anyone about what had happened the previous day. That would have embarrassed the hell out of her.

At the end of 7th hour, Sheridan considered skipping Physics again with another "doctor's appointment," but she knew that she couldn't keep avoiding him.

She walked into the room, and time seemed to stand still as her eyes connected with Luis's. She couldn't tear her eyes away from his dark hair, his deep brown eyes, and his gorgeous face.

__

Luis is so sexy, Sheridan sighed to herself. _If only he loved me as I love him? Why can't we still be together, in love, like we used to be? Everything would be perfect._

Class started and they learned more about vectors and forces. Big yawn. They also received a huge book-sized packet due the following day, but Mr. Woyak was kind enough to give them class time to work on it.

Sheridan quickly got to work, not wanting to drag her mammoth physics textbook home that night. After a few moments, she noticed that Luis had disappeared.

__

Where is he? Sheridan wondered. _He probably went to get a drink or something. But what do I care? I don't have the right to care anymore._ Sheridan sighed and tried to continued with her homework.

Just then, one of the secretaries came to the door. "Sheridan Crane?" she requested.

Sheridan stood up and walked to the door. "Yeah?"

"Sheridan, I need you to come with me, please."

Mr. Woyak, who had been listening, asked, "Will this take long?"

The secretary thought for a moment before responding. "It shouldn't take too long. But she could always come back and get all her stuff after school."

Now Sheridan was really nervous. _Did they figure out that I didn't really have a doctor's appointment yesterday? Do they know that I skipped yesterday? Oh no! What's going to happen to me?!?_ she worried.

Sheridan was taken to one of the principal's offices by the secretary. "When you're done talking to him, you can go back to class." She handed Sheridan a hall pass and walked away.

"Here goes nothing," Sheridan muttered to herself.

Nervously, she opened the door and walked in. "Uh, sir, you wanted to see me?"

"Ah. Sheridan. Yes, I did," the deep-voice of the president replied.

"Do you mind if I ask why?" she questioned, worried about what he's going to say next.

"Yes, I hear that you didn't go to your eighth hour class yesterday. Might I ask why?"

"Uh, well, I, uh, had a doctor's appointment yesterday."

"Oh, cause, well, I heard that you, uh, have been having some problems with your ex, who is also in that class."

"Yes, ummm, we just broke up recently."

"Do you miss him?"

__

Why would a principal care about something like this? Sheridan wondered. She responded politely, "Yeah, I do. But he likes this other girl in that class. It's not a lot of fun to watch."

"Would that be something that would make you want to skip that class?"

Sheridan groaned inwardly, thinking, _He knows!_ "Uh, yeah, it would."

"Well, young lady, I have only one thing to say to you," he said firmly.

Sheridan was worried, but she knew she had to accept her punishment. "Yes, sir?" she asked, looking down, prepared for the worst.

Slowly, the chair turns around. He says two words to her. "I'm so sorry, Sheridan."

Surprised, Sheridan looked up and saw not a principal, but Luis sitting in the chair.

Luis then began speaking in his regular voice. "I'm so sorry. Sorry I hurt you, sorry I ruined what we had, sorry I ruined your trust in me. I don't think I can ever do enough to make up for all that I've done to you. But I'd like to have the chance to try. Sheridan, please, give me another chance. I won't let you down this time."

Sheridan could not believe that this was happening. _I must be dreaming! But I'm not. Luis is **HERE**. In front of me. Telling me that he's sorry and wants me back!!_

Luis thought that she was considering what he had said since she hadn't said anything. "Sheridan, I love you so much. More than I thought I could ever love anyone. All I want is another chance. And if you can't do that, at least tell me that you forgive me and that we can be friends. I know I don't deserve another chance. Even though I never meant to do any of these things to you, I hurt you so much. I just love you so much, and I just wanted to tell you that."

Sheridan began to cry, and Luis began to feel terrible. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you again. I'll just go away and leave you alone."

He started to stand up and walk out of the room when Sheridan shoved him back into the chair and sat on his lap. "You are not going **ANYWHERE**, mister!" she informed him. "At least, not until I get a kiss."

Luis grinned with relief and gladly obliged. The kiss was sweet, deep, and full of love—their love.

After a few minutes, Sheridan pulled away. "How did you do this?"

"Do what?" Luis replied teasingly.

"**THIS**!!"

"Oh, this? This was nothing. It didn't take me too long to arrange it."

"Nothing? You call **THIS** **NOTHING**?!? You got yourself out of Physics. You got **ME** out of Physics. You got into a principal's office, without him here. You got one of those attendance ladies to come and get me out of class and take me here and scare the **HELL** out of me… You went through so much trouble—and all for me?"

"Sheridan, I would do anything for you. Haven't I told you that enough yet? I love you. I love you more than you could probably ever **IMAGINE**!! My love for you. That's the only reason I can give you."

They kissed again, and Sheridan asked, "So, what are you doing on Friday?"

Luis got a weird look on his face. "Well, you remember that secretary?"

Sheridan was really confused. What did that attendance lady have to do with their date? "Yeah… What do you have a date with **her** or something?"

Luis laughed. "No! I just, uh, told her I'd baby-sit for her on Friday night."

"Ok, what about Saturday?"

"I'm cutting the principal's lawn during the day, and I'm babysitting for Mr. Woyak that night."

Jokingly, Sheridan asks, "Is this what it's come to? I have to make an **APPOINTMENT** to see my boyfriend?"

"But after Saturday, I'm done doing my little 'chores' in exchange for their help. So…"

"As happy as I am to be back together, I don't know if I can trust to you baby-sit for some kids."

"Oh yeah? Well, what are you gonna do about it?"

"I just might have to drop by later on that night and make sure that the kids are all ok…I mean, what if they're like **NOT** asleep by bedtime or something! The world would just END!"

"Yeah, it would—and they'll be in bed by 7."

"**SEVEN**! What kind of kid goes to bed at seven?"

Luis gives Sheridan a sly grin and says, "The ones that I'm watching when my beautiful, hot, sexy, gorgeous girlfriend is gonna come over." They kissed again… and again… and again.

Eventually Luis had to stop and say, "Wait. What about Brian?"

"What about him? I was never in love with him—besides, he **LIED** to me to keep me away from you. I couldn't stay with him after something like that—even if we weren't back together."

Just then, the final bell rang. "We should probably get out of here. And I need to get my stuff from Mr. Woyak's room."

Luis groaned but stood up and walked toward the door. "Do you want me to come with you to Brian's house?"

Sheridan thought about it for a moment before replying. "Could you just give me a ride and not take me inside? I don't want to hurt him more than I have to."

Luis agreed, so after grabbing Sheridan's things they headed over to Brian's house. Sheridan walked up to his door and rang the doorbell. No one answered right away, and Sheridan was wondering if anyone was home.

Finally, Brian answered the door. "Hey, Sheridan. Uh, what are you, uh, doing here?" he asked nervously.

"I'll just be a minute. Look, Brian, I figured out that you lied to me about Luis, so we're over. I'm sorry, but I can't have a boyfriend who lies to me." Sheridan apologized.

"Uh, that's ok, I guess. But, Sheridan, I swear—" he began before a voice from inside cut him off.

Beth walked up to the front door in a bathrobe, her hair tousled and messy, "Brian, honey, who is it? Oh, Sheridan! Hi!"

Sheridan couldn't believe it! Brian was with Beth!! "Hi, Beth. How are you?" she asked, trying her best to keep her voice steady.

"I'm doing ok. Oh, and tell sexy out there in that car that I say hi and thanks for the help. He helped me convince my parents to un-ground me! Otherwise, I wouldn't be here with my sweetie right now." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and waved to Luis in the car. Amazed, Luis waved back.

"Well, uh, I gotta go. It was nice seeing you, Beth," she said, purposely leaving out Brian's name.

Holding her head up high, Sheridan walked back the car, climbed inside, and collapsed into tears. Luis quickly pulled away from the curb and drove off.

He soon stopped in an empty parking lot. "Are you ok, Sheridan?" he asked quietly, turning off the ignition.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just can't believe it. He said **YOU** were the one doing all those things with Beth, when in reality, it was **HIM**!! How could I have been so stupid?!?"

"Sheridan, it'll be ok. He's a jerk. Don't worry about it."

"I don't care about him. I'm just sad that because of his lies, I missed days I might have spent with you! Oh, Luis." He consoled her for a little longer until they realized that they were all alone.

~*~*~*~

Later that night, Gwen and Hank arrived at Chad's party. They both knew about Luis's plan and were hoping to see Sheridan and Luis together that night. They walked in the door and immediately scanned the room for Luis or Sheridan.

After about five minutes, they spotted Luis on a couch in a corner of one of the rooms with a girl they didn't recognize. They got closer, praying for that girl to be Sheridan. Soon they realized that the girl has dark, curly hair. Sadly it couldn't be Sheridan.

"Judging from the way he's making out with her, it must be a rebound girl," Hank whispered to Gwen.

"Yeah, probably. I'd say Beth, but I think he learned his lesson there," Gwen agreed.

They walked closer yet and overheard Luis say to the girl, "I love you so much."

The girl giggled and replied in a breathy voice, "I love you too, Luis."

Hank couldn't believe how Luis was acting. There was no way he was over Sheridan already! He pulled Luis back, "Man, are you ok?"

Luis gave him a puzzling look, "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

Hank whispered, "You just told that girl that you loved her. You'd never lie to a girl, but there's no way you're over Sheridan already!"

Luis grinned and replied, "Yeah, I'm not over her. What's the problem?"

Now Hank was more confused than ever. What was going on in his friend's head? "Why'd you lie to her?"

Suddenly the girl started giggling. "I'm sorry, Luis," she gasped between giggles.

Just as confused as her boyfriend, Gwen introduced herself. "Hey, I'm Gwen."

The girl just giggled more. "I know" is all she said in response.

"I'm Hank. And you would be?"

The girl giggled some more, and asked, "You mean you don't recognize me?"

Hank shook his head, and Gwen says, "No, not in this light, at least."

The girl raised her head and pushed her hair behind her ears. With a sly sparkle in her eye and a cunning grin on her lips, she introduced herself to the two. "I'm Sheridan. Nice to meet you two!"

Luis started laughing as soon as he saw the looks of pure shock on his friends' faces. Gwen and Hank shot him death glares, but he just couldn't stop.

Gwen reached out to touch Sheridan's hair. "Sheridan! What did you do to your beautiful hair?!?"

Sheridan laughed again and told them, "Nothing. I put in some electric curlers and I have some one-wash dye in my hair. We just thought that we'd freak you guys out a little. And it worked about 10 times better than we thought it would!"

"Yeah, sorry to freak you guys out like that, but the looks on your faces…Oh, it was the greatest!" Luis added with an ear-to-ear grin.

Gwen glanced over at her boyfriend and told them, "As tempting as it is to kill you guys, we won't."

"Yeah, cause we just spent a few weeks trying to get you two **BACK** together, and killing you would kinda defeat the purpose. I mean, if you're dead, you can't be back together, can you?"

The four laughed as the soft chords of a ballad came over the speakers.

"Dance with me?" Luis requested.

"I'd love to," Sheridan replied, flashing him a soft grin.

He grabbed her hand and the two walked onto the makeshift dance floor.

__

I'll never break your heart,

I'll never make you cry,

I'd rather die than live without you…

(fill in more lyrics here)

"I wouldn't, you know," Luis whispered into her ear as he held her close. "At least, not on purpose."

Sheridan met his lips in a soft kiss. "I know that now, Luis. I'm sorry for not trusting you."

"What do you say we call it even? I never meant to hurt you, but I did."

She sighed blissfully and rested her head against his chest. She was happier than she had ever been in her life and knew her life could never get any better.

~*~*~*~

After their dance, Luis pulled her off to the side. "Sheridan, I have something that I bought for you a few months ago. I was planning to give it to you for our 18 month anniversary, but I figured now is as good of a time as any."

Luis pulled Sheridan down onto the couch and sat down beside her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small royal blue jewelry case. Luis glanced up after hearing an almost inaudible gasp and saw Sheridan's mouth formed into a perfect "O."

Luis chuckled heartily. "Sheridan," he began, opening the case to show a small gold ring with an opal setting, "I love you with all of my heart and soul. You make my life more complete than I could have ever imagined."

"Luis, are—are you proposing?"

Luis laughed again. "No, Sheridan, I'm not proposing. We're a bit young to be getting married, don't you think? Rather, this is a promise ring. This ring promises you that I will love you for the rest of my life. Maybe one day I will be re-enacting this scene with an engagement ring, but that will be a few years in the future. Will you wear this ring for me?"

"Luis…" Sheridan sighed happily. "I want nothing more than to wear your promise ring."

Slowly, Luis slipped the breathtaking ring onto Sheridan's slender fingers. "I love you, Sheridan Katherine Crane."

"I love you back, Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald," Sheridan replied, a perfect smile on her lips.

The two met in a slow, passionate kiss, knowing that their love was one that would last a lifetime.

****

The End!


End file.
